Effects of the artificial urinary sphincter on prostatic development and sexual function in pubertal boys with...

Although sexual development in boys with meningiomyelocele may progress normally through puberty, the effects of surgical correction of incontinence by insertion of an artificial sphincter device around the bladder neck remain unclear. We studied 13 boys who received an artificial urinary sphincter before puberty and compared them to 12 age-matched pubertal controls with meningomyelocele. The prostate morphology was evaluated by means of transrectal ultrasonography, and we compared this finding, as well as sexual development, erectile function and seminal emissions between the 2 groups. Boys in both groups had similar development of secondary sexual characteristics and reported similar erectile function. Ultrasonography demonstrated an imprint of the sphincter cuff on the prostate but patients and controls had equal prostatic growth. In both groups an unexpected finding was the unexplained presence of sonolucent and sonodense lesions within the prostate glands. We conclude that transrectal ultrasonography is an excellent means of examining the prostate in pubertal boys with meningomyelocele. An artificial urinary sphincter placed around the bladder neck does not alter sexual development, function, prostatic growth or prostatic morphology.